Sustainability

GOING GREEN AT CANHEIT | HPCS 2016 – Gold Certification Awarded

We are very excited to announce CANHEIT|HPCS has achieved Gold Certification in the University of Alberta’s Green Spaces Program!

Integrating sustainable practices throughout the conference has been a top priority to ensure our carbon footprint is minimal. Many delegates will notice sustainable practices incorporated throughout the conference as they enjoy sessions:

Glass water bottles will be provided as a sanitary and sustainable alternative to metal or plastic bottles.

All food provided during the conference has been locally sourced within 100km of Edmonton. Food packing materials are biodegradable and made from recycled materials.

To dispose of food waste and packing material responsibly, delegates are encouraged to use compost and recycle bins located within conference grounds.

To reduce emissions and encourage the use of public transit, delegates have been provided an Edmonton Transit System (ETS) pass valid for use throughout the conference.

Delegates are encouraged to bring their own bags and writing utensils, or alternately, take notes on digital devices in order to reduce paper and plastic waste.

At the close of the conference, we will be planting a tree to offset the carbon footprint of delegates travelling to and from the conference. This endeavour provides a fantastic opportunity to leave a lasting positive mark and give back to our community, city, and province as a thank you for hosting this year’s CANHEIT|HPCS conference.

We would like to take a moment to extend thanks to our conference committees for ensuring sustainable practices were top of mind throughout planning. This gold certification could not have been achieved without the diligence of our planning committees in integrating sustainable practices throughout the conference.

A special thank you to all of our conference delegates for participating in sustainable practices throughout the conference, such as taking public transportation, and disposing of waste in compost and recycling bins. Your efforts and mindfulness in sustainable practices go a long way towards reducing our carbon footprint.

The University of Alberta’s Green Spaces Certification Program helps event planners adopt sustainable practices and earn recognition for their efforts. Any event or conference at the University of Alberta can be certified as a Green Event. Organizers commit to completing sustainable actions during the course of the event and attendees are encouraged to take personal actions that will help reduce the overall impact of the event.

Gold certification is granted when an event takes significant strides towards adopting sustainable practices in the areas of logistics and planning, accomodations, communications, exhibits and venue, transportation, food and drink, and innovation.